Baseball Swept by Bethany
April 28, 2007

Complete Box Scores »» Game 1   Game 2

Playing their third and fourth game against Bethany in two days, Cougar baseball was swept by the Bruins in a Saturday double-header, losing 8-5 and 8-6.

Bethany won game one on the strength of starting pitcher Mark Koski, who went the full 7 innings and allowed just three earned runs. He walked none and struck out for.

The pitching wasn't nearly as smooth for the Cougars, as it took 6 pitchers to get through the game. Starter Chris Skaalen lasted an inning and a third, allowing a pair of runs on as many hits. Bethany jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning, keyed by a David Raichart two-run home run in the third off reliever Eric Julienne.

But the Cougars would pull it to 6-5 in the bottom half of the fourth. Austin Way and Adam Ricciardulli singled, and Way was driven home by a Spencer Pardon base knock. An error allowed Matt Castro to reach base, and Shane Sullenger drove in a run with a groundout. With two outs in the inning, Ricardo Moran delivered a clutch two-RBI single, and came around to score later in the frame to close the gap to one.

That was as close as the Cougars would get, however, as Koski shut the door from then on. He was perfect in the 5th, 6th, and 7th to close out the win. For the Cougars, Moran, Pardon, and Tristan Gale recorded multiple hits, while relievers Jeff Stephenson, Lance McCormick and Auggie Richardson threw perfect innings.

Game two would have a similar results, though it was the Cougars getting on the board early. In the first inning, Gale drew a walk, Scott Shapiro lined a single, and Austin Way walked to load the bases with one out. Catcher Terry Moritz drove in the first run on the game with a base hit, but that's all the Cougars would get, as Bethany starter Jeremy Glenn would induce an inning-ending double-play. After a J.P. LaPointe homer gave Bethany a 2-1 lead in the third, Shapiro answered with a solo shot of his own to tie the game up. It was the slugger's 12th of the season.

Bethany would open the game up the following innings, scoring three to make it a 5-2 game. The inning featured an error, plenty of walks, and not a single hit. They'd tack on another in the 5th, but CSUSM would once again answer, as Moritz drove in two more runs with a base hit.

Despite being down 8-4 going into the 7th and final inning, the Cougars wouldn't go quietly. Gale led off with a double, and after a walk to Pardon, Moritz recorded his fourth RBI of the game with a single. Adam Ricciardulli drew a walk to load the bases. After the second out was made, Juan Perez walked with to make the game 8-6. But pinch hitter Jason Kutzler flied out to left to end the game.

CSUSM is now 18-22 on the year. The final game of their inaugural season will be played Sunday against Chapman University.